Working
in the Registry, if done wrongly, can cripple your machine. If you are
inexperienced it is always best to ask for the assistance of somebody more
experienced. The following links provide general advice, but are no
substitute for practice or experience.

Make
sure the paths to wuv3is.dll and the system folder are correct for your
machine.

Then delete the Windows Update directory under c:\program files.
Make sure you move wuhistv3.log out of the
Windows Update directory first. This file is your Windows Update History
file which you can move back into the directory when a new one is created by
Windows.

Special Note for Windows ME users. You will also want to preserve the file AUState.cfg which
is used by AutoUpdate to determine when the system last checked for updates
and also that user has accepted the AU EULA.

This advice covers three types of home page locking - hijacking (by web
sites), hijacking (by viruses) and locking (by ISPs when you install their
software, and computer manufacturers)

Malware:
If your computer home page is set to about:blank against your wishes, or any
other page, you have a malware problem. For advice on getting rid of it,
check out the link below:
http://inetexplorer.mvps.org/data/tshoot.htm

If you are using Spybot S&D, check your 'immunize' settings which may be
locking your home page.

First, update to Internet Explorer 6. Most sites that try to hijack your
home page will now trigger a 'do you want to do this' warning message that
lets you stop the hijacking. The sneaky background activex downloads that
are often used by hijack sites to install spyware will also trigger a 'do
you want to do this' install window.

There is a clever little shareware programme that can help stop your home
page being changed; it seems to work well but tends to trigger when you
change your home page manually the next time that you start IE - the
programme makes it much easier to take back control of your home page
settings:
http://www.pjwalczak.com/spguard/

If you are using Spybot S&D you can lock your home page using the 'immunize'
option.

Manufacturer/ISP Locking:

Some computer manufacturers and suppliers of internet access set IE to their
home page and lock this setting via the registry. Hijackers use exactly the
same trick. The locking is done using registry settings as per the
following:

The most important thing to remember is to disable
your virus scanner. Restart your computer after disabling the virus
scanner (do not just log off and on). If using an older version of Windows
such as 95, 98 or ME use ctrl/alt/del to shut down
everything except for Explorer and Systray.

The same procedure should be followed before
installing or removing any programme. If a file is being used by a background process
it will not be replaced or updated, even if its
replacement is essential to the successful completion of the installation or
removal.

A good way to test and stabilise your system until the upgrades are done is
reduce the hardware acceleration on your video card by right clicking on my
computer, click properties, click the performance tab, click graphics
button, move the slider toward none, click apply, ok, and reboot.

It is
possible you have a corrupt cookie for the problem site. Search
c:\windows\cookies for any possible culprits.

If no
joy, create a new cookie folder. Go to IE file/import and export - export
your cookies. Now shut down all programmes and boot into dos if you are
using Windows 95 or 98. If using Windows ME use an appropriate disc to
access DOS. Run the following commands from the windows directory, typically
c:\windows\>

smartdrv
deltree cookies

Reboot using ctrl, alt, del if using Windows 95 or 98. If using WindowsME
remember to remove the boot floppy.

Windows 2000 users will have to log in as Administrator to be able to delete
the folders in question directly from within Windows Explorer.

Windows XP users should be
able to delete the folders from Windows Explorer, but may need to log in as
Administrator to do so.

NOTE:

Different operating systems use different paths to the history, temporary
internet files and cookies folders. Check your system to make sure that
you are using the correct path for your machine. For example, you may find
your folders are located at ...\documents and settings\{identity}\{dir} or
similar.

Test. Go to file/import and export and import your saved cookies.

Sometimes third party
software causes this problem - an example includes:

Error Message: Cannot Open
Webpage Because Cookies Are Not Enabled (problem caused by Intermute)

This restriction can be
removed, but it is considered to be antisocial internet behaviour. By
restricting download connections the maximum number of people can be
connected at any one time. Those who take more than their share of bandwidth
stop others from having their turn.

Go to
the advanced options of your dial up settings - IE tools/internet
options/connections/dial up settings/advanced dial up settings and turn on
the option to disconnect if connection no longer required.

They will ensure that you are not a minor trying to bypass parental
controls, that you are the rightful owner of the machine, or that you are
working with the authority of the owner of the machine, and that you are not
trying to bypass restrictions imposed by your employer.

Do you have ZoneAlarm Pro installed? If so, open the programme,
go to the Privacy Tab and click on the custom button. Make sure that
the option to block animation is turned OFF.

Other programmes such as @Guard can
disable animated .gifs. Ensure there are no programmes set to disable gifs..

Go to IE tools/internet options/advanced/multimedia.
Ensure the option to show animations is turned on. If no joy, make sure your
.gifs are associated to Internet Explorer - if you click on a .gif in
windows explorer, IE should open to display it. :

After a wait you will get a *succeeded* dialogue box after each command.
Click ok, reboot and see if things are fixed.

But be warned, this resets a lot of file associations back to the standard
defaults, so some image viewer programmes may complain - but that's an easy
fix - you can pick and choose your file associations later.

Go to IE tools/internet options/advanced/multimedia.
Ensure the option to show animations is turned on.

If you have just upgraded IE and you have Norton Internet Security installed
reset your Personal Firewall Settings. If that doesn't work you will
need to uninstall and reinstall NIS. AdSubtract also causes a problem.

Make sure your
cache is not overfull or corrupt. Create new IE data folders as per
this link.

It has recently
been noted that if IE is set to 'auto-select' at view, encoding that some
sites will not load graphics. Set your system to Western European (windows)
or Western European (ISO).

If you are using
a firewall such as Kerio (which sometimes has an ad blocking ability) or you
are running any other ad-blocking software, disable it temporarily to see if
it resolves your problem.

There are regular
reports where people are unable to get graphics back despite our best efforts.
This may be related to a corruption in the registry. The following is taken from
a relevant knowledge base article:

"...If the problem [no graphics] is not resolved, a file
or registry key required to display the Web page with the appropriate character
set may be missing or damaged. To resolve this problem, restore Windows from a
complete system backup or reinstall (or repair) Windows. If you are running
Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition or Microsoft Windows XP, you may be able to
resolve this issue without restoring or reinstalling Windows by using the System
Restore utility to return your computer to a previous working state....

Note that in some cases you may also be able to resolve
this problem by manually editing the registry. For example, if the 28591 String
value is missing from the following registry key, a Web page that is encoded for
the Western European (ISO) code page might not display any images:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Nls\CodePage

The value for this registry key should be set to the name of the appropriate
code page file in your Windows\System or Windows\System32 folder. For the
Western European (ISO) code page, this value should be either Cp_28591.nls
(Windows 98, Windows Millennium Edition) or C_28591.NLS (Windows NT 4.0, Windows
2000, Windows XP). For additional information about the character sets that are
supported by Internet Explorer, visit the following Microsoft Web site:http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/workshop/Author/dhtml/reference/charsets/charset4.asp...."

I don't know about you, but that means absolutely nothing to me. I
suspect that a corruption within that key of the registry could also lead to IE
losing encoding settings. So, if your encoding keeps changing, or you
continue to be unable to see graphics despite your best efforts, I must
repeat Microsoft's advice and ask you to repair/reinstall Windows.

*IF* you are an experienced computer user, and *IF* you are familiar with the
registry I now have some txt files that can be converted
to reg files and imported into Windows XP/NT4.0/2000 or Win98/ME. You must
make sure that the NLS file referred to exists on your computer before importing
the reg file.

Try running the following commands from start/run with
all programmes shut down:

regsvr32.exe /i shdocvw.dll (all versions) ... and then

regsvr32.exe /i shdoc401.dll (with IE5 up)

If using WindowsME the command is:

regsvr32.exe /i thumbvw.dll

Press enter and reboot.

After a wait you will get a *succeeded* dialogue box
after each command. Click ok, reboot and see if things are fixed.

But be warned, this resets a lot of file associations back to the standard
defaults, so some image viewer programmes may complain - but that's an easy
fix - you can pick and choose your file associations later.

If still no luck, have a look at your Registry. Please, back up your
registry first, and if you are really unsure, get someone who has a bit of
experience to help you out.

Open regedit.exe and navigate to

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.jpg (there is a dot before jpg)
For Content Type is should say "image/jpeg"
Do the same for .jpe and .jpeg

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.gif (don't forget the dot)
For Content Type is should say "image/gif"

Finally, if
things are not working check out
these links:

HOTFIX - IE6 SP1 - Image files do not appear when you view a web page with IE6
SP1:

A connection to the server could not be established.
Error: The server returned an invalid or unrecognizable response
The program could not find the address for <TCP/IP address of proxy server>.
The attempt to load the Web page http://www.microsoft.com failed

When Internet Explorer Setup files are being downloaded
during Internet Explorer 5 Active Setup, the progress counter may not move,
you may not receive any error messages, and Setup may appear to stop
responding (hang). While Setup appears to stop responding, your modem may
indicate that information is being downloaded. Also (depending upon where
the initial download stopped) the estimated time to completion may start at
a very low estimated time and increase rather than decrease
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q222/1/25.asp

Err Msg: Setup
Was Unable to Download All of the Required ComponentsSetup was unable to download all the required components
for this installation. The internet is likely busy. Please try setup again
later and select Smart Recovery to continue downloading.

Setup was unable to download information about available installation sites.
Setup may have been unable to migrate your current proxy settings. Click the
Advanced button if you know your proxy settings. This network may be busy,
you can retry now or if you continue having this problem, please try setup
at a later time
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q180/1/33.asp

Error
Message: Setup Was Unable to Download the Required Components. Please Make
Sure You Are...

Setup was unable to download the required components.
Please make sure you are connected to the Internet, or try to run Setup
again later

Unable to
Download Components Adding Optional ComponentsWhen you try to add Internet Explorer components by
clicking Product Updates on the Help menu or by using the Add/Remove
Programs tool in Control Panel, you cannot add components from the Internet
Explorer CD-ROM and you are prompted to connect to the Web. If you choose
not to connect, you receive the following error message - Unable to download
components
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q190/8/30.asp

Setup was unable to install all the components - Ie4wzd
caused an invalid page fault in module unknown at 0000:00000015 - Setup was
unable to download all the required components for this installation. The
internet is likely busy. Please try setup again later and select Smart
Recovery to continue downloading - Setup could not verify the information
needed for installation. Please make sure your system clock reflects the
current time, and then run setup again - Setup was unable to download
information about available installation sites.
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q189/6/79.asp

The following may
assist when an install does not complete successfully (click
here)

A Previous Program Installation Was Never Completed

When you attempt to install Internet Explorer, you may
receive the following error message:
A previous program installation was never completed. You need to restart
your computer to complete that installation before running Internet Explorer
Setup. Setup will now close.
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q221/8/63.asp

A Previous Installation Has Pending Work Requiring a Reboot

When you upgrade to Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 on a
Microsoft Windows 2000-based computer, you may receive an error message that
is similar to the following one:

When you start your computer the first time after you install
Internet Explorer, you may receive any of the following error messages:
Unable to find function "DLLRegisterServer" in file
C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\COMCAT.DLL.
Error occurred calling "DLLRegisterServer" in
C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\ASCTRLS.OCX (HRESULT=80004005).
Error occurred calling "DLLRegisterServer" in
C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\DAXCTLE.OCX (HRESULT=80004005).
Also no version information may be displayed when you click About Internet
Explorer on the Help menu.

It has
been noted in the newsgroups that the file Active Setuplog.txt can sometimes
cause problems with the above error. Try renaming it.

Also please note
the following information about downloading IE

Changing
Installation Folder Does Not Change the Download Folder

When you change the installation folder for Internet
Explorer, the folder to which the installation files are downloaded does not
change.
For example, if Windows is installed on drive C and you choose drive D for
the Internet Explorer installation folder, the download folder (typically
named Windows Update Setup Files) is created on drive C instead of drive D.
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q218/7/87.asp

When you try to view the Internet Explorer 4.0 Component
Download page, you may receive one of the following error messages:
Error occurred Please reinitialize browser.
Please wait.. Internet 4.0 setup is initializing.
Note that Internet Explorer may stop responding (hang) after this message is
displayed.
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q178/9/50.asp

If you are running Windows ME
and have Norton System Doctor installed, search your system for files called
OEM****.INF (where * is variable) and the files are zero byte in
size. If you find them delete them, turn off System Doctor and try the
install again.

Microsoft have issued a patch
that will resolve this issue - see the link below:

CreateFile Improperly Returns
ERROR_ALREADY_EXISTS if the Drive Is Locked and the File Did Not Exist

Make sure that you have OE5 set as the default mail
programme. Go to IE tools/internet options/programs and select OE5 in the
drop down box. If it isn't there, shut down all programmes, go to start/run
and type the following exactly as it appears, including quote marks and
spaces. The only thing that may change is the path to msimn.exe

"c:\program files\outlook express\msimn.exe" /reg

Reboot and OE5 should now appear in the drop down list so you can select it
as default

Now test an email link.

If no joy, I would suggest that you shut down all programmes, go to control
panel/view/folder options/file types (or control panel, folder options
depending on your operating system). Scroll down to URL:MailTo Protocol,
highlight it then click edit, then edit again. The programme to perform this
action should appear as follows:

First disable ALL
other programmes, including antivirus and especially any pop-up window
removers, ad-controllers and anything else internet related.

ZoneAlarm - turn off Ad
Blocker

GuardIE - turn off "Prevent
Opening of Message Boxes"

30 August 2003

New Windows Update controls have been released - V.5.4.3790.14 for XP/W2K
and V.5.3.3790.13 for Win98/ME. If the control does not install
properly (you are prompted again), install the correct version manually as
per the instructions below:

1. Go to the desktop and right click the iuctl.cab file.
2. Click "Extract to."
3. Point to a known location (like the desktop) and click "OK."
4. Go to the location you selected and right click on the iuctl.inf file.
5. Click "Install."

1. Go to the desktop and right click the iuctl.cab file.
2. Click "Open".
3. Select all the files listed.
4. Right click on them and click "Extract."
5. Point to a known location (like the desktop) and click "OK."
6. Go to the location you selected and right click the iuctl.inf file.
5. Click "Install."

It appears
that this same error message is given if the file wupdinfo.dll is either
missing or damaged. This can happen if you have run one of the various
programs that claims to remove unused dlls from your system folder. I would
therefore suggest that you check for this file and replace with a new copy
from your Me cab set (either from the WinMe CD or from the
..\windows\options\install folder).

1. Click
on Start\Search\For Files and Folders.

2. Type
wupdinfo.dll into the Named field.

3. Make
sure that it is looking in your C: drive and click Search Now.

4. If it
finds this file, right-click and Rename it to wupdinfo.old. If you do not
find it, then continue on with the next step.

5. Close
the Search window.

6. Now
click on Start\Run and type MSConfig in the blank and click OK.

7. This
open up the your System Configuration Utility. Here you need to click on
"Extract File" on the General tab and then type wupdinfo.dll in the blank.
Then click Start.

8. Now
click the down arrow to the right of the Restore from box and this should
display the path to your install files, if not browse to their location (or
the CD containing them).

9. Now
click the Browse button to the right of the "Save files in" box and browse
to C:\Windows\system

10. Click
on OK to accept the location to extract the file.

11. Click
OK to accept the Backup folder to store the old file,

12. When
the file has been extracted successfully, then, again, click on Start\Run
again.

13. This
time, type in "regsvr32 wupdinfo.dll" and click OK. This will register that
file.

14. Now
go back to the Windows Update site and see if this has resolved the error.

Go to
IE tools/internet options/advanced and make sure the option to automatically
check for IE updates is turned off. Otherwise, there is something trying to
access the internet. Do an inventory of your programmes to check for any
likely culprits. Also, go to IE tools, internet options, advanced.
Turn off 'check for publisher's certificate revocation' and 'check for
server certificate revocation'.

If you are using ADSL or DSL make sure that 'dial whenever a network
connection is not present' is not enabled. Use 'never dial a connection'
instead.

You may have malware on your computer. Go to my
troubleshooting page for advice
about getting rid of it.

Passwords are saved in one of two places - in
<username>.pwl or in a cookie stored on the system. For a web page based
password request, you need to find the cookie for the site in question and
delete it.

For password prompt from IE, go to tools, internet
options, content, autocomplete and turn on the option to remember passwords.

Deleting
the DWORD AskUser in the right hand pane of REGEDIT may help if all
else fails.

Check for damaged files in ..\downloaded program files (also accessed via IE
tools, internet options, settings button (TIF), view objects button.
If found, right click and select update or delete depending on what they
are, and whether they are needed.

jpg files are typically encoded in a three-channel, RGB format. It is
possible, in some programs, to create .jpg files that are encoded in
four-channel, CMYK color format (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black used in
four-color printed reproduction). Importantly, Windows is unable to display
.jpg files that are not in three-channel, RGB color format under all
circumstances - they will work in standard view, but functions such as
thumbnail won't work." This interesting problem may also prevent
pictures from being saved as JPG (only BMP) will be available, and weird
effects when trying to print 4 channel jpgs.

This is most likely some sort of hardware conflict.
Try turning off the hardware acceleration for your video card and see if
that stabilises your system. If it does, you should update the video drivers
for your card.

DirectX has also been implicated in such problems.
Search for and run Dxdiag.exe to check what version of IE you have
installed. The latest is V.8 which can be downloaded from
www.microsoft.com/directx .

'You have tried to access a page that you are not authorised
to display and were stopped by the SAS Proxy'

You may just have a cache or cookie problem. Export
your cookies using file/import and export.

Shut down all programmes and boot into dos if you are
using Windows 95 or 98. If using Windows ME use an appropriate disc to
access DOS. Run the following commands from the windows directory, typically
c:\windows\>

smartdrv
deltree history
deltree tempor~1

deltree
cookies

Reboot using ctrl, alt, del if using Windows 95 or 98. If using WindowsME
remember to remove the boot floppy.

Windows 2000 users will have to log in as
Administrator to be able to delete the folders in question directly from
within Windows Explorer.

Windows XP
users will be able to delete the folders from within Windows Explorer,
though you may need to log in as Administrator first.

NOTE:

Different operating systems use different paths to the
history, temporary internet files and cookies folders. Check your system to make sure that you are using the
correct path for your machine. For example, you may find your folders are
located at ...\documents and settings\{identity}\{dir} or similar.

Turn off all web accelerators, and search for a file called HOSTS (hosts.sam
and lmhosts are simply sample files but are sometimes used in error). If you
find it, open it using Notepad and and remove any entries to the problem
site/s. If you are not certain, place a # at the start of the line to force
Windows to ignore everything on that line.

If you are using ADSL or DSL make sure that 'dial
whenever a network connection is not present' is not enabled. Use 'never
dial a connection' instead. Shut down all computers. Turn
off the modem/router, leave it off for five minutes and then turn it back
on. One of my first ADSL modems was quickly fixed by simply
disconnecting the modem from the internet wall connection and then plugging
it back in after a few minutes. With my current model, which has a 'screw
in' connection which is a pain to disconnect, I find it easier to power
everything down for a few minutes.

"Launch
browser windows in a separate process" option missing in IE5.01 or later
(registry hack) - setting this option to 'yes' may stop Windows Explorer
from trying to access the internet

As per
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;240928, this
option can no longer be adjusted from within IE from version 5.01 onwards.
Sometimes the registry settings which are meant to be 'automatic' are set
incorrectly and can cause problems such as Internet Explorer trying to
access the internet.

Make sure both
of the following registry keys are set to 'yes'. If you have a 'low RAM'
machine (less than 128 meg) the options should be set to 'no'.

Uninstall Dial-Up Networking at Control Panel, Add/Remove Programmes,
Windows Setup, Communications. Restart your computer then reinstall
dial-up networking. If the problem continues, do a COMPLETE uninstall
and reinstall as per the instructions at the URL below:

Start IE5,
right click any URL and select Open in a New Window.
Go back to the first IE5 window you opened and close it.
Return to the second window and manually drag it to fill the screen.
(Do not use the maximize button)
Close this second window, using the close box.
All IE5 windows should now open maximized.

Or here's an
old trick...

Have window already open, but minimised to the
taskbar. Drag the link down to the button, hold it there until the window
opens then drop the link in.

Nowadays you
can shut down all programmes and run the script MaxLink.js (download
here). You should then get an additional option in Internet Explorer to
the link in a maximised window. Unfortunately it doesn't work in OE.

You put it on the desktop (or make a shortcut to it on quick link, storing
it anywhere). Rightclick a link in a message, select add to favorites, then
using the favorites on the start menu, drag that new fav onto this attached
file.

This would allow a size and window position of choice. (and the subsuquent
rightclick, 'open in new window's will remember this setting for the current
session).

Be warned though, this script will only run with the latest scripting engine
that comes with IE 5.01 and Windows 2000. If you do not have the latest
scripting engine (Windows Scripting 5.1) download it from:

Try clearing your history at
tools\internet options\clear history button. If you are still having
problems, shut down all programmes and boot into dos
if you are using Windows 95 or 98. If using Windows ME use an appropriate
disc to access DOS. Run the following commands from the windows directory,
typically c:\windows\>

smartdrv
deltree history
deltree tempor~1

Reboot using ctrl, alt, del if using Windows 95 or 98. If using WindowsME
remember to remove the boot floppy.

Windows 2000 users will have to log in as Administrator to be able to delete
the folders in question directly from within Windows Explorer.

Windows XP users will be
able to delete the folders from within Windows Explorer as well, though they
may need to log in as Administrator.

NOTE:

Different operating systems use different paths to the history, temporary
internet files and cookies folders. Check your system to make sure that you
are using the correct path for your machine. For example, you may find your
folders are located at ...\documents and settings\{identity}\{dir} or
similar.

Now this is my favourite
question ... and the answer is .... go to IE tools\internet options\general
{languages}. Make sure that English (US) is installed, and that it is at
the top of your list. This will expand your search options remarkably.

Windows 98 users can go to
this link and set a specific search engine (scroll to the bottom of the
page). There is a disclaimer as follows: WARNING: URLs that are not
designed for the search bar will not work properly.

Scroll down to the URL:Hypertext Transfer Protocols, click edit twice and
make sure the following is in the application used to perform action box:

"C:\PROGRAM FILES\INTERNET EXPLORER\iexplore.exe" -nohome

The same applies for URL:Gopher

DDE should be set to: "%1",,-1,0,,,,
Application should say: IExplore
DDE application not running should be blank
Topic should be: WWW_OpenURL

Mike Burgess MVP was kind
enough to point out to me the other day that 'open in new window' is
dependent on the following files, therefore you should ensure they are the
correct version for your system, and correctly registered.

Run the following commands
from start/run. Run each line individually. After each run, you should see
a short message stating the command was successful.

It has been noted that
replacing OLEAUT32.dll will work when all else has failed. Do that by
following using Fix1 or Fix2 below:

Fix 1:
Microsoft Office 2000 or an Office 2000 Component Is Installed on Your
Computer
If Office 2000 or or an Office 2000 component is installed on your computer,
obtain and install the Office 2000 Service Release 1 (SR-1). For information
about how to do so, please visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/office/previous/default.htm

A damaged *.pwl list can
cause this problem - rename <username>.pwl to <username>.old

Delete all extra copies of
WSock32.DLL, except the one in windows/System folder

A damaged history folder can cause this error - boot using a floppy so you
can access DOS if you use WindowsME or Windows 2000. If using 95 or 98 shut
down all programmes and boot into DOS then run the following commands from
the Windows directory, typically c:\windows\>

smartdrv
deltree history

Reboot using ctrl, alt, del if using Windows 95 or 98. If using WindowsME
remember to remove the boot floppy.

Windows 2000 users will have
to log in as Administrator to be able to delete the folders in question
directly from within Windows Explorer.

Windows XP users will be
able to delete the folders from within Windows Explorer as well, though they
may need to log in as Administrator.

NOTE:

Different operating systems use different paths to the history, temporary
internet files and cookies folders. Check your
system to make sure that you are using the correct path for your
machine. For example, you may find your folders are located at
...\documents and settings\{identity}\{dir} or similar.

Ensure you are not running CleanSweep4.

Reget from Softseek
is known to cause this problem with IE5.5 - make sure you have the very
latest version available.

Using POPOFF, a utility for advertising windows on web pages and
other similar programmes can also cause kernel32 errors. In addition,
advert.dll can cause these errors. See my
"Bugs, Glitches and
Stuff-Ups" page for more information on advert.dll as well as other
troublemakers like Comet Cursor.

If you
run Cleansweep, go to Symantec's web site, do a search for
apitrap.dll and download their version. A conflict between IE5 and
Symantec's version of apitrap has been known to trigger this error message.

And if
you're running CrashGuard, turn it off. And turn off any of those
programmes such as AdsOff or PopOff. They cause kernel32 problems as well.

Netsonic is known to cause problems and needs to be uninstalled.
Basically *any* internet related programmes should be disabled or
uninstalled - replacing one at a time to track down the aberrant programme.

There
has been a run of problems caused by advert.dll and Comet Cursor. Have a
look at my page "Bugs,
Glitches and Stuff-Ups" for further information.

McAfee Antivirus is now acknowledged
as causing kernel32 crashes (as at V5.1). According to McAfee they are
planning to release a patch during the final quarter of 2000.

Some
have solved their problems by turning OFF the download scan option.

Damaged IE storage folders
can cause this problem. Follow the instructions at this
link.

Shut down all programmes and boot into dos if you are using
Windows 95 or 98. If using Windows ME use an appropriate disc to access DOS.
Run the following commands from the windows directory, typically
c:\windows\>:

smartdrv
deltree history
deltree tempor~1

Reboot using ctrl, alt, del if using Windows 95 or 98. If using WindowsME
remember to remove the boot floppy.

Windows 2000 users will have to log in as
Administrator to be able to delete the folders in question directly from
within Windows Explorer.

Windows XP users will be able to delete the folders
from within Windows Explorer as well, though they may need to log in as
Administrator.

NOTE:

Different operating systems use different paths to the history, temporary
internet files and cookies folders. Check your
system to make sure that you are using the correct path for your
machine. For example, you may find your folders are located at
...\documents and settings\{identity}\{dir} or similar.

If still no joy, export your favourites and then
rename your favourites folder as per the instructions below. Test and if the
problem is solved import your saved favorites.

Shut down all programmes and boot into dos if you are using Windows 95 or
98. If using Windows ME use an appropriate disc to access DOS. Run the
following commands from the windows directory, typically c:\windows\>

cd windows
ren favori~1 oldfav

Windows 2000 will have to log in as Administrator to
be able to delete the folders in question directly from within Windows
Explorer.

REMEMBER:

Different operating systems use different paths to the history, temporary
internet files and cookies folders. Check your system to make sure that you
are using the correct path for your machine. For example, you may find your
folders are located at ...\documents and settings\{identity}\{dir} or
similar.

These errors have become
common lately, and can often be traced to a "free" programme that installs
"spyware" such as Aureate's programme which installs ADVERT.DLL or
RealPlayer7 which installs COMET CURSOR.

Macromedia Flash Player 5.0
is incompatible with XP and causes "unknown" and swflash.ocx errors.

Yahoo! Companion version
1.0.1.2 is not compatible with XP and will cause crashes involving
iexplore.exe.

If you have recently
installed Real Player V7 a programme called "Comet Cursor" was
installed at the same time. Comet cursor has been implicated in UNKNOWN and
SHLWAPI page faults while browsing, or while shutting down.

UNKNOWN faults have been
caused by Comet Cursor when trying to install Macromedia Flash. Uninstalling
Comet Cursor resolved the problem.

My "Bugs, Glitches and Stuff
Ups" page features links to the CometSystems website where you can download
a removal programme: Darnit.htm

Many freeware programmes
install spyware or 'hijackware' such as the infamous ADVERT.DLL. Renaming
this file to ADVERT.OLD can resolve many crashes involving UNKNOWN modules.
Unfortunately, advert.dll is not the only problematic file installed by
spyware or 'hijackware' so if you don't have that file, don't assume you are
safe. Make sure you download and run AdAware, available from
www.lavasoft.de. If you already have
it, update the signature files and check your system.

An excellent replacement for AdAware, which won't be updated until the
new version of the programme is released, is Spybot. Again, it is a free
programme which can be downloaded from:

Going on past experience with mshtml.dll errors and new releases of IE,
look very suspiciously at any other programmes. Disable *everything*,
including virus scanners, to see if the problem goes away.

Otherwise, you may just have a cache or cookie problem. Export your
cookies using file/import and export.

Shut down all programmes and boot into dos if you are using Windows 95 or
98. If using Windows ME use an appropriate disc to access DOS. Run the
following commands from the windows directory, typically c:\windows\>:

smartdrv
deltree history
deltree tempor~1
deltree cookies

Reboot using ctrl, alt, del if using Windows 95 or 98. If using WindowsME
remember to remove the boot floppy.

Windows 2000 users will have to log in as Administrator to be able to
delete the folders in question directly from within Windows Explorer.

Windows XP users will be able to delete the folders from within Windows
Explorer as well, though they may need to log in as Administrator.

NOTE:

Different operating systems use different paths to the history, temporary
internet files and cookies folders. Check
your system to make sure that you are using the correct path for your
machine. For example, you may find your folders are located at
...\documents and settings\{identity}\{dir} or similar.

Finally, you may have a
duplicate or damaged wsock32.dll file. Make sure you have only one copy
(in ..\windows\system. If it is there, extract a fresh copy using system
file checker (sfc.exe or via msconfig depending on your operating system)